Arabic version: تم تأكيد فوهة بيلبارا القديمة كأقدم موقع تأثير كويكب في العالم

Scientists have confirmed that the North Pole Dome in Western Australia’s East Pilbara is the oldest known asteroid crater in the world, dating back approximately 3 billion years. This confirmation follows a previous controversy when the crater’s age was initially reported but later disputed by other researchers.

According to ABC News, the advanced dating techniques employed in the latest study have resolved the uncertainties surrounding the crater’s age. Chris Kirkland, the lead author from Curtin University, explained that the team analyzed the individual crystals within the rock to determine the age of the impact event.

The key evidence for this dating came from zircon, a mineral that can preserve geological time for billions of years. Kirkland noted that some zircons from the North Pole Dome exhibit unusual branching, skeletal shapes, indicating they were modified by the intense heat from the impact. An independent analysis of another mineral, apatite, confirmed the same age.

Despite this confirmation, some experts continue to dispute the findings. Alec Brenner, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, argues that the latest study has not accurately dated the North Pole Dome impact structure. He cites evidence from nearby rocks that suggest the impact occurred after 2.77 billion years ago.

The North Pole Dome’s confirmation as the oldest asteroid impact site surpasses the previous record held by the Yarrabubba crater, which dated back 2.2 to 2.3 billion years. Kirkland remarked on the significance of this finding, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of studying rocks that tell the story of the planet’s past.